Sewer Talk
by S J Smith-Evil Little Dog
Summary: Of course, Buffy would find Angel in a sewer.  Post-Not Fade Away.  No Comics Involved.
1. Sewer Talk

**Title:** Sewer Talk

**Author:** S J Smith

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **Of course, Buffy finds Angel in the Sewer.

**Note: **Written for Sasha B's prompt: Angel, Buffy, Taciturn.

**Disclaimer:** If you think I own any of this, I've got some bog land in Indiana to sell you.

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><p>Buffy couldn't say she was surprised to find Angel in a sewer beneath the city. "What," she said, "you couldn't save this for a more appropriate place?" She waved her hand around before he could say anything, "Oh, wait."<p>

He stood there, expressionless, mostly a giant hunk of vampire, staring at her, hands in his coat pockets. Buffy hadn't quite but almost forgotten how much he _didn't_ talk, compared to her other lovers. Spike would've been lighting up a cigarette and saying something quippy, Riley would've at least said hello, how are you, do you want to see pictures of my kids, and Nathan would've given her a hug and a kiss and – well, that was Nathan, and Angel wasn't like any of them. "Are you going to say anything?"

"I've been looking for you," Angel said.

Buffy couldn't help rolling her eyes, because, duh. God, she felt like a stupid teenager again with a stupid teenage crush. Except the last she'd heard, Angel'd gone back to the bad, and Spike was still alive, and some giant fight had taken down L.A. with them fighting on the side of some Smurf-blue hell god named Illyria, and that changed things. "Why, so you could explain to me about how L.A. got destroyed?"

"No," Angel said, and Buffy caught a flash of narrowed eyes, and maybe a mumble of, "I thought Giles would explain that," but then he _moved_ and his hands grasped her shoulders and – oh, _God_ - his palms were _warm_ and his fingers were crushing her shoulders, tight enough to bruise. "I came to tell you I'm human," he gave her a pull, cradling the back of her head with his big hand as he guided her ear to the space over his heart – his _heart_beat – "that's all."


	2. Happily Ever

**Title:** Happily Ever

**Author:** S J Smith

**Rating:** K+

**Summary: **They're still talking in the sewer.

**Notes:** Written for the LJ Community, Fanfic_Bakeoff, for its prompts of 'warm' and 'music'.

**Disclaimer:** If you think I own any of this, I've got some bog land in Indiana to sell you.

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><p>Buffy froze – the rhythm and music of <em>life<em> booming and whooshing and everything beneath her ear, the heat of Angel's body warming her own. It couldn't be, it couldn't and – Buffy shoved her hands against his chest, throwing herself away from him, gasping and panting. "H-how?"

Angel shrugged. "A prophecy." But he didn't sound happy, more…casual. Resigned, maybe. "I thought you might want to know."

"What kind of prophecy?" Buffy reached out, as if he might vanish.

He didn't look at her, his throat moving. "The vampire with the soul would live to die."

"Huh?" That sounded kind of weird, even for a prophecy, and Buffy wrinkled her forehead, trying to understa…"_Live?_"

"Uh, huh." Angel glanced up then.

"And now you're," she waved at him. Heartbeat, working lungs, pulse, everything.

Hands back in his pockets, Angel spread them out to the side, making his coat billow.

"A reward."

Angel corrected. "A prophecy."

"And you're…human again."

He nodded. Buffy wanted to punch him. If this was her situation, she'd be dancing. She'd have hugged Angel, and wanted to do everything – bask in the sun, try every food under it. Make love for days…oh.

Oh.

"I'm happy for you, Angel." She bit her lip. "It's everything you ever wanted." The rest of that, her desires and how they'd faded years ago went unsaid.

"I know." For an instant, he softened, and Buffy saw the vampire – no, _man_ - she remembered from her high school years. His eyes lit on her, warm and alive, oh God, so alive. She wanted to reach out then, go back to when she believed fairy tales ended in happily evers.

But that wasn't them. It never had been.

Still.

"Do you wanna…get a coffee and talk about it?"

Angel's smile made this the best sewer talk ever.

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><p>- end -<p> 


End file.
